A Second Chance
by Sephy-Stabbity
Summary: Kikyo meets Naraku when he is defeated. Will he get a second chance at life? And love? Pairing Naraku Kikyo


(A/N – I know Kikyo died but I'm going to put her as alive here so as to have a storyline And be warned beforehand that the story does NOT follow the anime.)

**A Second Chance**

oooooo

Naraku struggled to stand, fighting the wave of nausea that threatened to consume him. _That half-demon, how could he defeat me! I thought I had him for sure. And that untrained wench of a girl, with her cursed arrow! _All these questions and more raced through his head as he tried to take in the fact that it was over. _HE _was over.

"Well, what do you know…" he chuckled bitterly, his hand rising to touch his left eye, from which blood streamed profusely. "The great Naraku, dying alone in the midst of a mass of carnage." They hadn't even thought to wait until he died, so completely finished was he.

"So you are giving up, are you, Naraku?" a woman's voice sounded behind him, "how unlike you."

He looked behind and snarled with all the strength he had left. "Kikyo! Why did I expect you to come and gloat at my death?"

She said nothing, but came over and kneeled down by his side, placing a hand on his head.

"Take your hand away, wench!" he lashed out, made angrier by the realization that he was too weak to do anything about it.

"You shouldn't talk so much" she admonished gently, stroking his face, "It would be better for you to rest."

He gaped at her and this time did manage to raise his hand to snap away hers, but not before a tingling spread from her fingers through his forehead, like arrows of fire. Agonizing pain exploded in his head and he clutched his forehead, as if shaking would dispel it. So intense was the pain that he barely felt Kikyo taking his head in her arms and tenderly massaging it. The pain lessened but it did not go away.

"I bet you're enjoying torturing me, aren't you, bitch!" he growled through the pain, yes fixated on hers, infuriated that she was not getting angry, "Kick the dog while it's down huh?"

"I told you" she repeated, a hint of annoyance approaching her voice, "you must keep still or you'll mess up the flow of the healing magic."

He stared at her, caught between surprise and anger. Now that he felt it, as the pain shot through him, his wounds magically closing themselves. The more intense the hurt, the quicker the heal. Soon he was able to move his right hand, which had previously been immobile.

"Do you want something in return, Kikyo?" he asked, pushing himself up, "Is that why you healed me?"

"If a man is down, you try to get him back up." she answered simply.

"I see!" he laughed bitterly, "thought it would make you look, did you, little witch-priestess? Looking to shame me, by saving my life when you could just as easily have healed it, right?" He forcefully grabbed her chin and pulled her up to look at him, "It ain't gonna happen, Kikyo." he stated coldly, " I could have survived without your help."

"Oh?" Kikyo said, her own anger flaring as patience gave way, "And is that why you were lying on the ground sobbing "boo hoo, they left me without even digging a grave"? See what your lust for the Shikon Jewel has done to you! You can't even accept help from people without thinking they have an ulterior motive!"

"Since when do you want to help me without anything in return?" he asked, fury ebbing away and giving vent to pure bafflement. He was genuinely puzzled now. "Kikyo?"

Kikyo took her time answering and when she did, she did not quiet meet his eyes. " They say that a friend in need is a friend indeed."

"So…we are…friends?" Naraku asked slowly, digesting the information.

"I didn't say that" Kikyo replied quickly, stepping back in defiance.

"Oh…I see." Naraku smiled, stepping closer towards her. Tipping her chin up, he kissed her lightly on the lips. "Perhaps you meant…that we are more than friends?"

"I didn't say that either!" she snapped, her cheeks reddening despite herself. "I just…" she took a deep breath.

"Kikyo" Naraku stated, before she could say whatever she meant to say. "I don't think either of us have anywhere to go now. I'm not interested in chasing the half-demon or his friends anymore."

"Really?" she answered skeptically, "I thought your whole life was based on your lust for the Shikon Shards."

"Maybe something else replaced that lust." he whispered stroking her silky hair, his eyes never leaving her face.

She stared into his eyes, her small hands raising to cover his own, "Maybe" she murmured, smiling softly. In the moonlight, she was breathtaking.

Naraku found his lips moving towards hers again as the stars danced across the sky. His smile was barely visible in the darkness, but it was there.

They were going to start a new, and hopefully better, life.

(A/N – Well, you like? Love? Hate? R&R and tell me what you think. )


End file.
